Online Payment Links
Send your guests a secure online payment link so they can pay for their booking using a credit card, bank transfer, or other online payment method. Payments are processed through Mollie or Stripe and recorded automatically in hejGuide -- no manual entry needed.
Prerequisites
Before you can send payment links, connect at least one payment provider in your Payments settings:
- Mollie -- Popular in Europe. Supports a wide range of local payment methods.
- Stripe -- Widely used globally. Strong credit/debit card support.
You only need one provider connected to start sending payment links. If you have both connected, you choose which provider to use when creating each link.
How payment links work
Understanding the technical flow helps you troubleshoot issues and explain the process to guests:
- You create the link -- On the booking's Payments tab, you specify the amount and click Send. hejGuide generates a unique, secure payment token for this transaction.
- Guest receives an email -- hejGuide sends the guest an email containing the payment link. The email shows the property name, booking dates, and the amount due.
- Guest clicks and pays -- The link takes the guest to a secure payment page hosted by your provider (Mollie or Stripe). hejGuide does not handle card numbers or bank details -- that is all managed by the provider's certified payment infrastructure.
- Provider processes the payment -- The guest selects their preferred payment method, enters their details, and confirms. The provider processes the transaction.
- Webhook confirms payment -- Once the payment succeeds, the provider sends a webhook notification back to hejGuide. This triggers automatic recording of the payment on the booking.
- Both parties are notified -- The guest sees a confirmation page, and you receive a notification in hejGuide that the payment was received.
This entire flow typically takes under a minute from the guest's perspective.
Sending a payment link
- Open the booking and go to the Payments tab.
- Click "Send Payment Link".
- Enter the amount the guest should pay. This can be:
- The full booking total.
- A deposit amount (e.g., 30% of the total).
- A specific amount for an additional charge.
- If you have multiple providers connected, select Mollie or Stripe.
- Review the payment details and recipient email address.
- Click Send.
The guest receives the payment email within moments.
TIP
You can send multiple payment links for the same booking. This is the standard workflow for deposit + balance collection: send a deposit link at booking time and a second link for the balance closer to check-in.
Concrete example: deposit + balance via payment links
A guest books a stay totalling EUR 1,200. You want to collect a 30% deposit now and the balance 14 days before check-in.
Step 1 -- Send deposit link
- Open the booking, go to Payments, click "Send Payment Link".
- Enter EUR 360 as the amount.
- Send the link.
The guest receives an email, clicks the link, pays EUR 360 via iDEAL (if using Mollie). The payment is recorded automatically. Balance remaining: EUR 840.
Step 2 -- Send balance link
14 days before check-in, you return to the same booking:
- Click "Send Payment Link" again.
- Enter EUR 840 as the amount.
- Send the link.
The guest pays the balance via credit card. The payment is recorded automatically. Balance remaining: EUR 0. The booking is now fully paid.
Both payment links and their statuses remain visible in the payment history on the Payments tab.
Payment methods by provider
The payment methods available to your guest depend on which provider you use and how it is configured:
Mollie
Mollie is particularly strong for European payment methods:
- Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
- iDEAL (Netherlands)
- Bancontact (Belgium)
- SOFORT / Klarna Pay Now (Germany, Austria)
- PayPal
- EPS (Austria)
- Giropay (Germany)
- Przelewy24 (Poland)
- SEPA bank transfer
- Additional methods depending on your Mollie account configuration
Stripe
Stripe provides broad global coverage:
- Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
- Debit cards
- Apple Pay and Google Pay (if enabled)
- SEPA Direct Debit (Europe)
- iDEAL (if enabled)
- Bancontact (if enabled)
- Additional methods depending on your Stripe dashboard configuration
TIP
The payment methods your guests see are controlled by your provider account settings, not by hejGuide. To enable or disable specific methods, log in to your Mollie or Stripe dashboard.
Payment link statuses
Each payment link you send has one of three statuses, visible on the booking's Payments tab:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sent | The email was sent and the link is active. The guest has not yet paid. |
| Paid | The guest completed the payment. The amount has been recorded on the booking. |
| Expired | The link expired before the guest used it. No payment was collected. |
When a payment link expires
Payment links have a limited validity period. If a link expires before the guest pays:
- The status changes to Expired on the Payments tab.
- The guest can no longer use that link -- clicking it shows an expiration message.
- You need to create a new payment link for the same amount and send it to the guest.
There is no automatic retry. If a guest reports that their link does not work, check the status on the Payments tab first -- it may have expired.
WARNING
Expired links cannot be reactivated. If a payment link expires, create a new one. The expired link remains in the payment history for your records but has no further function.
Resending a payment reminder
If a link is still active (status: Sent) but the guest has not paid:
- Open the booking and go to the Payments tab.
- Find the unpaid payment link in the list.
- Click "Resend" to send a reminder email with the same payment link.
This sends a new email to the guest with the same link. It does not create a new payment link or change the expiration.
Automatic recording and reconciliation
When a guest completes an online payment:
- The payment is automatically recorded on the booking's Payments tab with the method set to the specific payment method used (e.g., "iDEAL", "Visa", or "Bancontact").
- The booking's balance remaining updates immediately.
- The payment link status changes from Sent to Paid.
- You do not need to manually record online payments. Doing so would create a duplicate entry.
WARNING
Never manually record a payment for an amount that was paid through a payment link. The webhook from Mollie or Stripe handles this automatically. If you see a payment link with status "Paid", the payment has already been recorded.
Integration with automated emails
If you use the Guest Journey to send automated payment reminders, those emails can include online payment links. This creates a fully automated deposit collection flow:
- Guest makes a booking.
- Automated email sends a deposit payment link.
- Guest pays through the link.
- Payment is recorded automatically.
- Before check-in, automated email sends a balance payment link.
- Guest pays the balance.
The entire payment collection process can run without manual intervention.
Troubleshooting
Guest says the payment page shows an error
- Check if the link has expired on the Payments tab. If expired, send a new one.
- Verify your payment provider account is active and in good standing.
Payment was made but not recorded in hejGuide
- This is rare but can happen if the webhook from the provider was delayed. Wait a few minutes and refresh the booking.
- Check your payment provider dashboard (Mollie or Stripe) to confirm the payment was processed on their side.
- If the payment shows as successful in the provider dashboard but not in hejGuide, contact support.
Guest wants to pay with a method not available
- Payment methods are configured in your Mollie or Stripe dashboard, not in hejGuide. Enable the desired method there.